Sunday, April 12, 2009

sunday salon- the return of the read-a-thon!!!

Hey Sunday Salon folk,
I hope all is well and that you are having a spiffy time with family and friends today. What I want to talk about today is the amazing and upcoming Read-a-Thon. Okay, don't get scared it really is so much more fun than you could ever imagine. It is a full 24 hours of all things bookie, books, book buddies, book blog posts, book talk, book recommendations, book tips, and a gazillion snacks.

This will be my third time participating, and since each time it has gotten better and better I can promise you that this read-a-thon will blast your expectations to pieces. If you have been on the fence, join in and you can just go as long as you want to, and feel up to it. Every time I have participated there has been nothing but encouragement all around. Even if you can't spend the whole time reading, there are so many different ways to participate. You can help cheer the readers on, you can read for a couple hours and listen to audiobooks while you do chores, the read-a-thon is %100 customizable!!

Another reason is that it is the best community building thing that happens in the bloggie book world, and if you are feeling a tad bit on the outside, this is your chance to step it up and step into the community. I can tell you that the wackier we get together when we all are completely sleep deprived and drunk on books, the closer we get. Even thought it is great to get to read through reviews and posts about books, the read-a-thon is the best time to see every one's personality. Oh, yes....the read-a-thon brings out the personality in us all!!

What to have for the read-a-thon:-Food. You'll want to have food ready for yourself. And make sure to eat things that are healthy, good and filled with energy. You probably want to prepare them beforehand, or you could listen to an audiobook while you get yourself some yummy foodstuffs. Treats are a must have! Snacks....food that isn't junk food, but some junk food too.

-Liquids, (be careful with how hopped up you get on caffeine though) a TON of water, juice, milk, herbal teas are excellent, hot chocolate, chai tea. I try to stay away from sodas, and coffees...they make me too shaky and I can't focus at all. Do a play it by ear method, it is the best way.

-The Books! You'll need books that are good and that will grab your attention. Make sure you don't grab all your "I have to read this" books off your shelf, that will ruin the read-a-thon for you straight away. I recommend reading things that you want to read and haven't had a chance to read, and things that are easy on the mind. Some examples are: graphic novels, young adult, old childhood classics (Little House, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Anne of Green Gables, Hardy Boys), and this time I am going to have several good audiobooks at hand for sure.

- Get comfortable, but not sleep comfy. stay warm, but not too warm. Keep that snugly blankie that you like at your side at all times, but make sure you don't get so warm you fall asleep, especially at around 4 am...warm is good, but not put-you-to-sleep-warm.

-A quiet, distraction free environment is key. I have had to read at coffee shops and I tried our library as well. Both very much less than ideal. I am a people watcher and when there are people to be watched I have a hard time controlling my urge to do so. I can't read at my house (that is my husband's only stipulation, so that he doesn't have to pry the boys off of me). This time I am hoping to get a quiet room at my library so I can just read away until it closes. Then when my boys are in bed I'll head home to read in silence.

-Take breaks. Yes, if you don't you'll be fried and this isn't a contest on who can end up the most fried! I have a hard time getting back to reading, so even though the prizes are amazing I only allow myself to open my my laptop every two hours or so. That way I can take a break by entering all the amazing mini-challenges that are set up without sacrificing reading time. For a break if you are falling asleep, go outside and take a walk, it works wonders.

-Keep your blog updated with pictures of you happily reading, of snacks for us all to drool over, or cool things that happened since your last post. I tried to update every 3 hours last time and I think I pretty much got it every time. It is so fun to take pictures with my mac and put them right up onto my blog posts. Updating really gives us all a chance to come cheer you on, so make sure you keep us all involved in your progress!! Oh, and at the end I did a video as well, videos are always a hit during the read-a-thon :)

-Above all else have fun and remember that this is not a competition, it is for fun and to get to mingle and encourage eachother.

Oh, and if you are thinking about it, or kinda leaning towards it, leave your comment below. I can't wait to see who is going to be joining in on this adventure. Want to sign up for the read-a-thon too??? If you have any other suggestions, add them to the comments that way we can help eachother out! Any great books, amazing treats or good tunes to recommend?? Don't leave us in the dark!

19 comments:

Thanks so much for the insight, Bethany! I loved reading your tips for the 24 hours and the necessary preparations.This is my first read-a-thon and I'm excited, but also a bit scared... I'm still shooting for 24 hours, but won't be too sad if I don't quite make it.Kathrin

Can't wait! I'm going to make the nosh food on Saturday. Have my paperbacks ready, my Kindle loaded, and am going to the library this week to get audios for when I have to run an errand. What a great idea!

I want to. I really, really want to but I have kids in the house! I am still on the fence. I just don't think they will allow me to sit and read. Why, you ask? Because they don't let me sit and read now :)

I'm supposed to be cheerleading but now we're talking about taking a last minute trip to Palm Springs next weekend.. and me with no laptop! Boo! Well even so, I'll be cheering from the pool and the golf course!

Thank you for all the great tips, Bethany! I didn't know what to expect, this being my first time to join.. but I'm super excited! I'm sure I won't be reading the whole time, with the kids at home, but I'll try, as much as they will allow. :D

I'm in! It'll be my second time and my goal is 18 hours this time although we'll see if I can hold out for longer. Listening to a book while doing other things is a great idea! I'm looking forward to putting together my stack of books to read, and I'll be stocking up on snacks this week.

Thanks so much for the tips, Bethany! This is my first time and I have no idea how it will go, but your advice will help. I think a break for blogging every 2 hours is a great idea. I also thought it might be a good idea to take a short walk after the first 8 hours or so, just to refresh my brain a bit.

"I can tell you that the wackier we get together when we all are completely sleep deprived and drunk on books, the closer we get." Oh honey, I hear you!! I'm feeling wacky just thinking about the read-a-thon. I'm so excited to be doing this with you a THIRD time! Great tips for newbies.